Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-20
DAILY HERALD.
KENTUCKY,s DEAD DESPERATE
LIE was Of the Virginia Tallta-
ferro stock and Mild Man-

Oh Inc law very lrkSOme. ne HAS SoI
hut one way to distinguish himself
and that is BY fighting. He learns to
fight early in life and generally keeps
il up till ne dies with his boots on.
just as the stronger animals oppress
and destroy the weaker ones, so it is
with the mountain desperado. His
only ambition is to be regarded as a
king bee.
Take the life of Craig Tolliver for
instance, and when you consider its
incidents in detail, it is no surprise
fhot he turned out as he did. Had
Craig been born into savage tribe
there is scarcely a doubt he would
have become its chief. His father,
who was named Talliaferro, came
from Virginia stock, and was a we'll
to-do citizen of Morgan county. 1t
was, however, the custom of the elder
Talliaferro, or Tolliver, to rule with
an iron hand. He wanted to have his
own way in everything. When Craig
was boy of IA years, his father had a
lawsuit with a neighbor in which the
former was successful. There was
something thought to be so outrageous
in his conduct about the litigation that
after the trial was over the unsuccess-
full litigant and few of his friends
came to Tolliver's house one night
and shot him to death while he lay in
bed in his wife's arms. Craig and the
other children were present and wit
messed the cold-blooded murder. 1t
would he calculated to impress almost
anybody who saw his father murdered
in this manner that it is good thing
to be fighter.
Old man Tolliver was murdered
about twenty-five years ago. The
family moved into Elliott county after
his death, and there Craig grew to
manhood. He carried weapons, of
course, and practiced shooting great
deal. He drank liquor at that time,
and, remembering his fathers un-
happy fate, it was natural that he
should be careful to let people know
his ability to take care of himself. He
got along peaceably enough, though,
until he came to this county about five
years ago. Then began the troubles
which eliminated in his death.
Craig TOlliver was six feet in height,
:i6 years of age, raw-boned and well
muscled, with slightly STOPPING shoul-
<lers. He had light blue eyes, brown
hair, and wore sweeping mustache
and small goatee. He was true to his
friends and implacable toward his en-
elnies. That he was a game man is
beyond question. He had a meager
education, being barely able to read
and write, but he was shrewd and
cunning. He was imperious in man.
ner when the time for real action ar
rived, but under ordinary circum-
stances he was inclined to be mild
hammered. He was typical desper.
ado and eminently fitted to be the
master spirit in vendetta. How
many men he had killed is not defin-
itely known. but the number was not
large. 1t suited him better to direct
thinsg 10 be done than to do them
himself.
/ hear a good deal OF speculation as
tc how Tolliver managed to live. He
Was for a long time without any visible
occupation. yet he always had plenty
of money. He had lately been en-.
gagged in the whisky business, having
two saloons in Morehead, one o.
which was kept by his cousin, Jay
Tolliyer. A short time ago Craig
went into the hotel business. There
il q small hotel just north of the depot
which was run by man named Pow
ers. Tolliver wanted to get control ol
this hotel, and, according to the com
mon talk, he forced Powers to let him
have the house on his own terms. The
terms were $3.50 per year, and that
sum strikes me as fair rem
tai. Craig changed the name
Of the hotel to the American
house, and it was in that building thai
he and his followers were stationed
when the battle OF yesterday com
Ineaccd. He was police judge of the
town of Morehead, but the office was
probably not a lucrative one.
One of the gamest fighters in the
Tolliyer crowd was Cayt Tolliver, 6
lad IA years of age, and a nephew o
Craig Tolliver. He stood out boldly
and fred his revolver at the enemy
but he did no damage. He is very
small for his age, and nobody tried t6
hurt him. He had narrow escape
though, for a bullet passed through
the seat of his trousers. When Crais
TOlliver fell this boy got to him a.
soon as possible, and secured the dead
mans watch and pocketbook. This
yonng boy is still at Morchead, but
says he is going to Elliott county t.
live.
Some members of the posse found
Bud Tolliver, wounded and helpless
in the grass. where he had concealed
himself They placed their guns
against his head and blew his brains
out. Hiram Cooper was found in
. wardrobe in Allie Young's room, up
stairs at the Central Hotel. He was
dragged from his hiding place and
killed in the room. A. bullet was fired
through his brain and went crashing
xgainst the wall, where it flattened
itself and fell to the floor Mr.. Richard
Buckner Allen, of the Lexington Press
picked up the bullet this morning, and
prizes it very highly as a souvenir OF
the battle.-[Courier-Journal.
HOW CRAIG TOLILvER DIED.
at has not been published yet, but
II IL fact that Craig Tolliver did moi
die with his boots on" said "a gentle
man who returned from Morehead
last night. 81 talked with the woman
who keeps the Central Hotel yester.
day, and she told me how it happened
She told me that Craig knew that his
hour had come, and he had no hope
of reaching the brush when he made
the break for liberty. Just before
starting out he declared, "They'vr al
ways sslid I'd die with my boots on
but I'll De- ii | do,' and witt
chat he stopped down and pulled of
mis- shoes and started for the railroad
IN his sock feet. From what thi,
woman told me I'm sure that Crail
T0lliver was not afraid to meet hi
death ut the hands of his enemies
He WAS very much excited and some
.-4,~t raffIad beca,sp he couldn't see